Articles & News

Over the years, LDA has published an extensive catalogue of articles for Australasian Dental Practice and Australasian Dentist magazines, ranging from surgery design features to columns addressing finance, practice marketing and various aspects of the design process.

To view any of these articles, which can be downloaded as PDF files, please select one of the following categories:

Articles and News

Q&A Style Guide

Title	Issue	Overview
1108 Style Guide #03 2011	Jul / Aug 2011	Q: "I have found a great house for a dental practice in my local area. Will I need a planning permit to set up? A: The short is answer is yes, unless the council area you live in has a most unusual approach to planning. Approval is generally supported if there are no more than two or three practitioners, there is plenty of onsite parking away from neighbours’ living or sleeping areas, there is plenty of landscaping area on site, and there is compliant access for disabled people. Q: "I am a principal dentist in a partnership, we have testimonials on our website. We recently received a letter from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA) claiming this is inappropriate. I have signed consent forms from my patients giving us permission to use their testimonials on our website. Doesn’t client consent allow us to use their testimonials?" A: Patient consent and the ability to use that testimonial for promotional purposes are two separate issues. The idea of getting written permission from patients is to reduce the chance of getting sued for libel (defamation). As dentists, you offer regulated health services, this is why you need to register with the dental board. In late 2009 the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld) was enacted, and section 133 prohibits regulated health services from using testimonials to promote business.

1106 Style Guide# 02 2011	May / Jun 2011	Q: "I am sole practitioner dentist and have been operating my practice for a number of years under my own name. I have considered rebranding my practice in the past, but it has been to hard. While I am years away from selling my practice and retiring, what are the benefits of re-branding now?" A: While practicing under you own name new patients become accustomed to the owner’s touch. The practice becomes dependant on the owner being part of the service process, which has lots of lifestyle implications. A company brand allows you the scope to bring in new partners, expand your services or geographic reach. Q: "I would like a new website. My current website feels dated and isn’t attracting new patients. After making some enquires I have been told to consider my company name, branding, and other marketing as well. I only want a new website, why do I need to consider updating these other elements?" A: To get the most out of your marketing spend, a consistent image needs to be presented to the market, encouraging familiarity with your brand. Consistency between your branding, marketing collateral, website, practice presentation & service delivery is crucial to running a success private practice.

1104 Style Guide #01 2011	Mar / Apr 2011	Q: "I have an older 2-chair practice in about 50 sm. The lunch area, steri, lab, store and OPG are all in one small room. It can be a bit embarrassing and it is not up to current standards. I feel I am gradually losing patients. I am looking for premises to move into and would like to have 4 chairs in the new practice. Can you give me a guideline for how much room I will need?" A: Our experience has taught us that there is a basic formula for estimating space needs. The basic figure to remember is that it takes about 40-45 square metres to run and service every dental chair efficiently. Q: "I have just moved into my newly refurbished practice and couldn’t be happier with the result, however it needs a few finishing touches. Unfortunately in my budget didn’t allow for any new artwork. Could you suggest any cost-effective alternatives to purchasing artwork that might help to dress the space?" A: "While good artworks can provide you with fantastic options for aesthetic and visual emphasis, as in your case, this solution isn’t always an affordable option. Alternatively, however, inexpensive well-framed reproductions can be just as effective in providing the visual relief required."

1012 Style Guide #05 2010	Nov / Dec 2010	Q: “Until recently my receptionist had been creating my marketing flyers using word processing software, but I want to get a more professional looking result. What are the benefits of using a graphic designer to create my marketing material?” A: A graphic designer is an expert at solving visual problems. They have spent years studying and understanding the processes and psychology of colours, shapes, movement. They have experience in the print and finishing process, and can create a design quickly using the latest tools. They have learnt how best to convey information to an audience. Q: “Many of the dentists I know have their practice in converted houses. I have seen an older, red-brick house up for sale in the perfect location, on the corner of a busy major road and a quieter residential street. How can I determine whether the premises are suitable for my new practice? A: Before purchasing any new premises, you must first ascertain whether a healthcare facility is an allowable use of the space, before even looking at whether the space is suitable for your particular requirements. Key primary considerations in determining whether the premises are suitable for a healthcare facility are the zoning of the premises and car parking requirements.

1010 Style Guide #04 2010	Sep / Oct 2010	Q: “I’ve been in my current practice for 8 years and things are starting to get a little cramped. I’d like to expand from a 4 chair practice to a 6 chair practice can you tell me how much space I would need and what I need to be aware of when considering potential new premises?” A: Over the past 25 years we have worked with hundreds of dentists, and designed surgeries of all sizes and shapes. Over this time we have accumulated comparative figures for analysis and determined that, for each dental chair, an average of 40sqm is required. Q: "I get confused by all the marketing jargon – brand, logo, what’s the difference? I already have a logo – isn’t this enough?" A: Many people mistakenly believe their logo is their brand, and that once they have a logo created then – voila – they are marketing their practice and the patients will come. In reality, your brand is so much more than this!

1008 Style Guide #03 2010	Jul / Aug 2010	Q: “I’ve noticed the colours I have used for my logo look different depending on the application. Can you tell me why this happens, and how it can be avoided?” A: You are not alone! Ensuring consistency in colour across applications is a common issue many brands face. There are various factors that affect the way in which a colour appears. These are: - The RGB Vs CMYK Colour space - Printing PMS colours - Printing on Uncoated Vs Coated Stock

1006 Style Guide #02 2010	May / Jun 2010	Q: “I’m looking to relocate my surgery, and have found space that would otherwise be suitable, however it is on the lower ground level and lacks the natural light I would like. Is there any way this can be addressed?” A: Lighting is an essential component of the aesthetic appeal of any practice. Just as the finishes within a practice must be carefully chosen to create your desired effect, lighting levels, and the types of lighting used must also be given considerable thought. Q: I’m looking to refresh my branding. I have appointed a designer to create my new visual identity, but I can’t brief them as I’m not sure what I want. Can you give me some guidance as to how to approach this? A: Your brand is a visual representation of you and your practice. It tells your story. As such, for your designer to be able to create this ‘story’, the best starting place is to cover the core elements which also happen to be the essential elements of any good piece of journalism – who, what, when, where, why and how.

1004 Style Guide #01 2010	Mar / Apr 2010	Q: “I am in the process of designing my new surgery and it was suggested I also update my branding at the same time. Is there any benefit in looking at my branding at this stage?” A: If you have made the decision to refresh the look of your surgery, either by moving to new premises or by refurbishing your existing surgery, now is a great time to reconsider your branding strategy and whether it is effective in conveying the correct message to your patients. Q: “Our practice is in dire need of a facelift, however we only have three years left on our lease, and don’t want to undertake a complete refurbishment. Do you have any advice for freshening up our practice on a budget?” A: This is a commonly asked question, and there are some relatively simple, cost effective options for refreshing your practice that can have a huge impact on the look and feel of your space. Affordable options include...